CONFLATED OPERATIONS?

Either Cockburn or you have conflated Operation Red Wings with Operation Anaconda. Red Wings was a Marine led mission to have SEALs surveil a Taliban leader in advance of a joint operation to take him out and clear an area. After LT Murphy’s team was overwhelmed, a huge rescue attempt was launched resulting in more casualties. Operation Anaconda was early in the war and was run by the 10th Mountain Division with Delta and SEALs taking-up overwatch positions and calling-in airstrikes. One SEAL unit was ambushed owing to poor overhead surveillance and SEALs were killed trying to rescue them. A Ranger QRF scaleed the mountain to get them out. No one was targeted for assasination and the beloved A-10 did not play a key role in either operation.